Keep Holding On
by TammyDevil666
Summary: Spike is the most popular guy in school. Buffy is the new girl that gets under his skin, but seems to show no interest in him. He will do anything to get her attention. She has a secret that could bring them closer together, or tear them apart. Spuffy!
1. Chapter 1

I know this may seem similar to a lot of other fictions out there, but I always try to be as different as I can. It won't be your typical high school fiction, at least I'm hoping. We all put our unique spin on things. There will be angst, but I wouldn't say this one would be too heavy on it. Don't be too put off by the beginning. I really hope you guys like it!

**Chapter 1**

He banged on the door of the janitor's closet, looking to make sure no one was coming down the hall.

"Dude, are you done yet? I hate being your look out. Can't you get someone else to do it?" He heard a growl as the door finally opened to reveal a bleached blond man, wearing a leather duster, a perky blonde hanging on his arm.

"You're so impatient, Harris. I was only in there for five minutes."

Xander Harris rolled his eyes, wondering why they were even friends in the first place. "That's five minutes too many, Spike. You're gonna get caught one of these days, and I would like to not be around when that happens."

"God, you're such a wuss," Harmony Kendall claimed, then turned back to the man she was clinging to. "Blondie Bear, why do we keep having sex in a cramped closet? There are much better places we could go."

Xander chuckled at the nickname, causing his friend to send him a glare.

"We already went over this, Harm. The janitor's closet is a special place for just the two of us. I don't want to share you with anyone," he lied, hoping the bint would let the subject drop.

Harmony flashed him a big smile. "Oh, that's so sweet. I knew you cared about me, Spikey," she said, placing a kiss on his cheek and marching down the hall.

Spike cringed at another one of her annoying names.

"I can't believe she fell for that. You bring a ton of girls to this closet."

Spike smirked and took his sunglasses out of his back pocket, slipping the shades on. "She should really know me better."

Xander sighed as he followed Spike out of the school. Sometimes his friend's constant need to play the field bothered him, but he wasn't about to say anything.

* * *

Buffy Summers stepped out of her mother's car, glancing around at her new surroundings. 

"Have a good day, honey. Be careful," Joyce summers commented, a worried expression on her face.

Buffy smiled to try to put her mother at ease. "I'll be fine, Mom. I'll see you after school."

Joyce nodded and drove away.

Buffy watched her for a moment, then headed towards the building.

* * *

Spike sauntered over to the cheerleaders at lunch, giving them all a leer. 

"Hello, ladies."

They giggled at his appearance; some even started to fix their hair.

The head cheerleader, Cordelia Chase, licked her lips at the sight of him. "Hey, Spike, where have you been?"

He shrugged. "You know me, Cordy. I've been around," he said with a wink, then made his way back over to the table where he usually sat.

Angel patted him on the back. "Man, what's your secret? You have every one of those girls eating out the palm of your hand."

"No secret, mate. It's just a gift."

Xander rolled his eyes, but decided not to be a part of the conversation.

"You think you can get me a date with Cordelia? I've wanted to ask her out since last year," Angel wondered.

Spike nodded. "I think that can be arranged. She's a nice enough bird, great in the sack."

Angel's jaw dropped. "You slept with her?"

It was Spike's turn to roll his eyes. "And you're what, shocked by that? She's a cheerleader, it's what I do. I've had all of them at least twice. Not at the same time, of course." He smiled at that image, but then got back to the point. "There isn't one chit in this school that I can't get. They practically beg me for it."

Angel gave that some consideration. "I bet I can find one."

Spike laughed. "Yeah, I wish you luck with that."

"Come on, there has to be someone your charm won't work on."

Xander paid more attention now, suddenly very interested.

"All right, if you can actually find one, then I'll guarantee you a date with Cordelia."

Angel smiled in satisfaction. "It's a deal."

* * *

Spike yawned at the teacher's boring lecture, History not being a favorite subject of his. It was more like a snooze fest. He perked up when the door opened and a petite blonde entered, handing a paper over to the teacher. 

Mr. Reynolds glanced down at the paper, then looked up to address the room. "Class, we have a new student joining us. This is Buffy Summers, please make her feel welcome." He turned back to Buffy. "You may take a seat next to Mr. Rayne. I would say that he could help you with what I have been discussing today, but I don't think that would be very likely to happen," he finished, glaring at the bleached blond in the back of the room.

Spike held his hand up and waved.

Buffy took a deep breath and moved to the back, sitting down in the only available seat.

Spike looked her over. She was cute, a bit on the skinny side, not overly beautiful, but he could already see himself having some fun with her. History just got a whole lot more interesting.

* * *

The bell rang and Buffy gathered up her books, getting up and bumping into the boy that was sitting next to her. 

He graced her with his trademark smirk. "You should really watch where you're going, love. Can I walk you to your next class?"

She shook her head, clutching the books to her chest. "No, thanks, I can find it on my own."

Spike was stunned when she walked away from him, but followed after her. He caught up to her outside of the classroom. "Are you sure? This school can get pretty confusing. It being your first day and all, you might need some help."

Buffy stopped suddenly and turned to him. "I don't need any help, okay? Thanks again, but I can handle it," with that said, she headed in the other direction.

He was beyond shocked at this point. "What the hell just happened?" Spike heard laughter behind him and knew that he would never hear the end of it.

"What's this I see? Spike Rayne getting turned down by a girl? I never thought the day would come. I believe someone owes me a date with a gorgeous head cheerleader now."

Spike glared at Angel. Besides Peaches and Xander, he saw that Riley Finn and Parker Abrams were also there to witness his humiliation. "Hey, it's only her first day. I at least deserve a little more time."

Angel shook his head. "It usually only would take you an hour. Face it, Rayne. This one isn't interested."

Spike wouldn't accept that. "I can change that. I have never been rejected before, and I'm not about to start now." He knew that was a lie, a certain rejection in freshman year coming back to him, but he shook it off.

Parker stepped forward. "Why don't we make this a bit more interesting? I'm feeling generous at the moment, so I'll give you a week to get the new girl to sleep with you. If you can't do it, then I guess you're not really much of a ladies man. I bet you would just hate for that to get out."

Spike scowled at him, never one to back down from a challenge. "I'll do it, but I won't even need the whole week. I can have her by tomorrow."

Parker grinned. "Prove it. We can't just have your word, either. If you do sleep with her, we need some real evidence."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "What? You want me to videotape it or something? A girl usually knows before I do that."

"It doesn't have to be a video. It could be pictures, anything like that. You're creative, I'm sure you'll figure something out."

Spike nodded after a moment. "Fine, you have yourself a deal."

They shook hands on it and went their separate ways.

Spike was left wondering what he got himself into.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Spike rolled his eyes when he entered his house later that day, throwing his backpack to the floor. The moans that could be heard coming from his father's room were enough to wake the bloody dead. He headed into the kitchen to make something to eat, just as a young brunette walked in.

Her hair was all tousled and her shirt on backwards, giving him a small smile and wave.

Spike waved back, rolling his eyes yet again.

Ethan Rayne followed her into the kitchen, placing a hard kiss on her mouth. "Thanks for the good time, love. We'll be sure to do this again."

She giggled and after giving him one more kiss, left the house.

Spike focused back on his sandwich. "So, how old is this one?"

Ethan glared at his son. "Twenty-five, not that it's any business of yours."

Spike laughed humorlessly. "Right, what was I thinking? I only have to hear you going at it with a different woman half your age almost every bloody day, but no, it's none of my business." He flinched when Ethan slammed his fist onto the counter, knowing that it wasn't smart to piss the old man off, but he couldn't seem to care.

"You better not be talking back to me, boy. I don't get on your case about the little sluts that you bring here, so you better show some bloody respect."

Spike glanced down. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"I'm done wasting my time with you. I have another lady friend showing up in a couple of hours, you better stay in your room. Do some homework or whatever you do; I don't care as long as I don't have to see you for the rest of the night," Ethan explained, then headed out of the kitchen.

Spike glared at his father's back, not watching what he was doing and nicking his finger on the knife in his hand. "Shit," he swore, sucking on the tiny wound. Spike sometimes hated the way he acted, but with a father like his, it was hard to do anything else. Seeing his father go through women was practically how he was raised, he didn't really know anything else. He knew the way he treated the girls at school was wrong, but Spike wouldn't even know what was right anymore. He didn't know what it was like to be in love, or in a long-lasting relationship. Even though he was known as a ladies man, Spike still wished to find that one day.

* * *

Buffy laughed at the scene in her living room. Her mother and step-father were dancing to some oldies music, thinking they were taking a break from all of the unpacking.

Joyce smiled when she saw her standing there. "Hey, sweetie, how was your first day?"

She shrugged. "It was okay."

Rupert Giles could see the glum expression on his step-daughter's face and decided to change that. He grabbed Buffy and started to twirl her around the room, causing the young girl to giggle when he dipped her.

"Giles, I'm starting to get dizzy."

He immediately stopped and raised her chin, so she was looking right at him. "How was your day, really?"

She smiled. "It was good. I like it here."

Joyce was pleased to hear that. "Have you met any new friends yet?"

Buffy frowned and shook her head. "I've talked to a few kids that seem nice, but I don't know about making any friends."

Joyce ran her fingers through Buffy's long hair, concern written on her features. "Sweetie, everything's going to be okay. You can make friends here; I wouldn't want you to be alone."

Buffy nodded. "I'll be fine; I should probably get started on my homework now."

They watched sadly as she made her way up the stairs.

Giles placed an arm around his wife. "She'll be all right, dear. She's a very strong girl."

Joyce silently agreed.

No more words needed to be said after that.

* * *

Spike prowled over to his target, putting his hand on the locker next to hers and giving her a grin.

"Fancy meeting you again, pet. How's the new school treating you?"

Buffy gave him a look, getting the remaining books that she would need out of her locker. "It's treating me just fine. Was there something you wanted?"

His grin became even bigger. "You could say that. You see, I've lived in this town for quite some time now. It's usually my job to show the new kids around. How about I invite you to the Bronze tonight? It's our local club, the only decent place to hang out around here. What do you say?"

She closed her locker door. "Sorry, I'm busy."

He was shocked and followed after her. "How can you be busy already? You just moved here."

Buffy turned to him one more time. "I have to wash my hair."

Spike let her go after that, not believing that he just got the 'I have to wash my hair' excuse. "What the bloody hell is going on?"

* * *

"So, have you had any luck with the new girl?"

Spike shook his head. "Not yet, but I think she's just playing hard to get."

Xander rolled his eyes. "Or maybe she's just not interested, ever think of that?"

Spike laughed. "I really doubt it."

Xander decided that it was about time he told Spike exactly what he thought of the situation, no matter the consequences. "Are you sure this is a good idea? The girl is new here, she doesn't know anyone and you trying to get into her pants is not right. I have her in my English class. She seems really nice; I wouldn't want to see her get hurt."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "And what makes you think she would?"

Xander snatched up his belongings, giving his friend one more look. "Because it's what you do," he said, then made his way out of the cafeteria.

Spike stared after him, wondering where that came from. A part of him knew that his friend was right, but another part really wanted to win that bet. Spike wasn't about to let Parker Abrams make a fool out of him. Besides, if the girl really had no interest in him, then she wasn't likely to get hurt. He tried to convince himself of that, but the more Spike thought of his actions; the more he realized that he was turning into his father. And that was something he never wanted to happen.


	3. Chapter 3

I forgot that I guess Joyce's last name would be Giles here, but I don't really feel like changing that and it's just weird to call her Joyce Giles. Who knows, maybe she never got her name changed. So, I think I'm going to stick with Summers, if anyone was wondering about that. I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday!**  
**

**Chapter 3**

Buffy smiled at the excited red head, Willow Rosenberg. She was the first real person to befriend her at school. It had been a while since Buffy had any actual friends.

"Sorry, am I talking too much? I tend to ramble a lot."

Buffy shook her head. "So far, it's the right amount of ramble."

Willow smiled in relief, then turned her attention on one of the popular tables in the distance.

Buffy knew what was on her mind. "Staring at Xander again?"

Willow blushed as red as her hair. "I know I probably shouldn't, but I can't help it. He's a lot different from those guys; I don't even know why he hangs out with them. They're complete jerks, but Xander has always been really nice. He even talks to me sometimes in class. Of course, it's hard for me to actually get any words out around him."

"I think it's really sweet. You should tell him how you feel."

She shook her head. "I couldn't do that. He may be nice to me, but there's no way he would ever like me. I'm not really the girl that guys notice."

Buffy nodded in understanding. "I can relate to you there."

"Really? You don't seem like you would have a problem with that. I've even seen Spike Rayne talking to you. He's like the most popular guy in school."

Buffy looked in the distance to notice Spike talking with the cheerleaders that were gathered around him, causing them to giggle at something he said. "What's his story, anyway?"

Willow shrugged. "I wouldn't really know. He's a pretty private person, but not someone that you should get involved with. I hear he goes through girls fast."

Buffy turned back to her new friend. "I have no plans to get involved with him. I just wonder why he's bothering with me if he has all those other girls paying attention to him."

"Maybe he likes you or something."

For some reason, Buffy found that very hard to believe.

* * *

"Hey, Harris, that cute red head is checking you out again." 

Xander blushed and threw a roll at Angel's head. "Shut up," he mumbled.

"I think she's got it bad for the Xan-Man."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not the only one sitting at this table, maybe she's looking at you."

Angel scoffed. "Yeah, that's not likely. I don't attract the smart chicks in school."

Spike chuckled. "No, only the airheads."

Angel glared at him. "Oh, you're really one to talk."

Spike ignored the comment and focused back on the two girls from afar. "I see she's already made friends with Buffy."

Angel grinned. "It's Buffy now? What happened to new girl?"

Spike shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "That was before I found out her name."

"It's a bit ditzy, don't you think?"

Spike shook his head. "She's not a ditz. I think it suits her."

Angel and Xander exchanged looks.

Spike didn't notice, too busy staring at Buffy. He was determined to get her to talk to him.

* * *

Buffy made it to her locker after school, opening it to reveal a yellow rose. She was confused as to how it got inside, taking it out to examine it closer. 

"Yellow is for friendship. Just so you know that I come in peace."

Buffy turned around at the voice that came from behind her, shocked to see Spike. "I know what yellow means. How did you put it in my locker?"

He shrugged. "I'm a man of many talents."

She graced him with a tiny smile, sniffing the rose.

"Knew I could get a grin."

Buffy placed the flower back inside her locker. "Don't get used to it."

He touched his heart. "You wound me so, love. Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. I really just want to get to know you better."

Buffy wasn't easily convinced. "Why would you want to do that? I saw your fan club at lunch. If you think I'm going to become one of those girls, you're sadly mistaken."

"I don't think that. I'm not really friends with any of them, but I would like to be yours. Just let me take you out tonight; show you more of our little town. I promise to keep my hands to myself," he said, raising his hands up and giving her a smile.

Buffy let out a breath. "You won't quit until I agree, will you?"

Spike shook his head. "I was never much of a quitter."

"Fine, I'll go with you, but it's not a date."

His smile grew wider. "I wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

Buffy looked herself over in the mirror. She was wearing a blue dress, her hair down in waves around her shoulders. It was the first time wearing that dress in a long while, and Buffy didn't even know why she was bothering to look nice when it wasn't even a date. 

Joyce stood in her doorway, a smile on her face. "You look so beautiful, honey."

Buffy smiled as well, turning to her mother. "I figured it was about time I wore this again."

"Your friend is waiting for you downstairs."

Buffy suddenly felt nervous, but didn't understand why. "I'll be down in a second."

Joyce nodded and walked away.

Buffy glanced at her reflection one more time. Taking a deep breath and grabbing her purse, then making her way down the stairs.

Spike's breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. He thought she was cute at school, but now she looked absolutely gorgeous.

"You look great, pet."

She blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself."

Joyce smiled at the teens. "You kids have fun, but make sure to be home by ten. It's a school night."

Spike nodded. "You don't have to worry about that, Mrs. Summers. Education is very important."

Buffy rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, then left the house with Spike.

Joyce watched them go, hoping that her baby would be okay.

* * *

Buffy was shocked when Spike took her to the beach, a picnic laid out on the sand. 

"This looks suspiciously like a date."

He shook his head, helping her down on the blanket that he placed there. "Hardly, I would never do this on a date. This is just two people getting to know each other. We can go to the Bronze another time. It's a bit too loud there; we wouldn't get much talking done."

Buffy accepted his answer, feeling her stomach growl when she saw all the food that he brought. "This is enough to feed an army."

Spike laughed. "Well, I didn't know what you would like, so I got a little of everything."

She smiled. "That's a smart move. So, where in England are you from?"

He handed her a chicken sandwich before answering the question. "London, been living here for about twelve years now."

Buffy nodded. "My step-father is from London. It's so beautiful there."

"Oh, you've been before?" he wondered, intrigued.

"A few times, it's one of my favorite places in the world."

Spike smiled. "Same here, I've always been wanting to go back. I probably will after high school. You're from Los Angeles, right?"

She nodded again. "Born and raised. It was okay there, but I have to say that it's really nice here."

Spike raised his eyebrows. "I don't know of anyone that would rather live here than LA. Why did you move here?"

Buffy was really wishing that he didn't ask that, but thought of something quick to say. "My mom got transferred, so we had to relocate."

Spike noticed a worried expression form on her face, but just shook it off. He changed the subject and started telling her about his childhood and all the mischief that he would get into, which seemed to make her laugh. He was actually having a really good time. Spike didn't know that he could have fun with a girl, without it involving sex. He had a feeling that Buffy would open him up to a lot of new things, and he could hardly wait.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"What the hell happened to you?"

Spike groaned as he shut his locker door, glaring at Angel. "It's not your bloody concern, Peaches."

He ignored the name. "Well, I am your friend. I think it should be my concern when you come to school with a black eye."

Xander decided to speak up next. "Spike got into another fight. Some kid in his neighborhood was causing trouble."

Angel nodded. "I should have known. You've been getting into a lot of fights lately, man."

Spike shrugged. "The ponce shouldn't have insulted my car."

Angel knew how much Spike loved his Desoto, but found it hard to believe that he would get into a fight over it. He just shook his head and walked away, not bothering to say anything else.

Spike sighed in relief and turned to Xander. "Thanks, mate."

"Don't mention it, but I really think you should say something. I hate being the only one that knows the truth."

Spike pointed to his eye. "This isn't a big deal, I've handled worse. Just forget about it."

Xander wasn't finished. "I know what it's like to be knocked around by your old man. I'm just lucky mine decided to skip out on us, so I wouldn't have to deal with him anymore. You shouldn't have to deal with it, either."

"I can take care of myself," Spike replied, heading in the other direction.

Xander watched him go, wishing his friend would do the right thing for once.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Spike shrugged off her worry. "I'm fine, love. It doesn't even hurt."

Buffy wasn't too sure, but didn't say anything else about it. "Why are you even sitting here? This isn't the popular table. I can see all of the cheerleaders scowling at us, they're not very happy."

"This is me not caring. I kind of like it over here." He winked at the girl sitting across from him. "How you doing, Red?"

Willow finally closed her mouth once he addressed her. "I…I'm doing okay." She cursed herself for stuttering, but he only smiled at her.

Spike saw Xander enter the cafeteria and waved him over.

Willow grew even paler at the sight of her crush.

"I see we're sitting elsewhere today," Xander commented, taking a seat next to Spike. "Hey, it's Willow, right?"

She nodded, finding speech to be very difficult at the moment.

Buffy smiled when she saw how smitten her friend was. It would be cute if the two of them got together.

Spike turned his attention back on the blonde. "So, are you up for the Bronze tonight?"

"I don't know if that would be a good idea. I'm really not much of a club person," she claimed.

"That's not a problem. You can just go to check it out. If you don't like it, we can leave and I'll never bother you about it again."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Are you actually pouting?"

He grinned. "Depends, will you go with me?"

She couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. "Okay, but again, it's not a date."

Spike nodded. "Of course not." He only had four more days to change that, but for a split second, Spike actually forgot about the bet. He was enjoying just being around her. He saw Parker's smirking face in the distance and would do whatever he could to wipe that smug look off. Spike just hoped that Buffy wouldn't get hurt because of it.

* * *

"You weren't lying about this place being really loud!"

Spike smiled and led her over to his favorite table, pulling out a chair for her and sitting down himself. "Can I get you something to drink?"

She nodded. "A diet coke would be good."

Spike nodded as well and stood back up, making his way over to the bar. He rolled his eyes when he saw Parker there chatting with some girl.

Parker grinned at the sight of him. "So, I see you brought her here. Have you gotten any closer yet?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, I can tell she's starting to like me. Well, at least tolerate me," Spike explained.

"I can't believe you haven't even scored with her yet. I think you're starting to lose your touch."

Spike clenched his fists at his side. "It takes time, but don't you worry. I have no intention of losing this bet." He grabbed the sodas and made his way back to Buffy, not even sparing Abrams another glance. Spike was worried when he got back to the table and saw Buffy clutching her head. "Hey, are you all right?"

She looked up at him and nodded, feeling the pain ease a bit. "Yeah, I just think it might be a little too noisy for me."

Spike took her hand and helped her up. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Buffy didn't say anything and just let him lead her out of the club, finally speaking once they were outside. "I'm sorry, you don't have to leave. I could just walk home. It's not that far."

"I'm not about to let you walk home by yourself, don't worry about it. I was getting bored of that place, anyway. We can just do something else."

Buffy smiled. "Could we go to the beach again? I liked it there."

He returned her smile. "I think that can be arranged."

* * *

"God, it's so beautiful here. I always used to love the ocean at night. The way the moonlight hits the water at just the right spot, the gorgeous stars shining above. You can hardly see those in LA."

Spike smiled at her.

She caught his look and lowered her head. "Sorry, I tend to get carried away sometimes."

"Don't apologize for that, I think it's adorable."

Buffy blushed, glancing back up at him. She couldn't read the expression on his face this time, feeling her breath catch when he moved closer to her. Buffy gasped when he touched his lips to hers. After the shock wore off, she found herself kissing him back.

Spike shut his eyes, slowly sliding his tongue into her mouth. The kisses he shared in the past never felt so good.

Buffy came back to reality a few seconds later and pulled away. "We need to stop."

Spike nodded; even though that was the last thing he wanted to do. "I'm sorry; I guess I also tend to get carried away. I probably shouldn't have done that."

She agreed. "It's just a little too fast for me. I'm still in the getting to know you stage."

"Right, we can just take things slower. I want to know everything about you."

Buffy sighed in relief, glad that he didn't seem to be upset with her. "That could take a while."

He gave her another smile. "I have all the time in the world."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Joyce opened Buffy's door, concerned to see her daughter lying down, distress written on her features. She moved closer and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Is everything okay, sweetie? Are you in any pain?"

Buffy glanced up at her mother, wiping away the tears from her eyes. "It's not so bad now."

Joyce placed her hand on Buffy's head to feel that she was warm. "I don't think we can wait much longer for the operation. Next week feels like a lifetime."

"I'll be all right, Mom. It's really not that bad, you don't have to worry."

Joyce gave her a sad smile. "I'm a mother; it's our job to worry. I just hope coming here was the right thing to do. If this doctor can't help you…" Her voice trailed off, not knowing how to finish that sentence.

Buffy covered her mother's hand with her own, giving it a comforting squeeze. "We can't think about that. Nothing but positive thoughts, okay?"

Joyce squeezed her hand back, gently caressing her cheek. "You're so grown up, so very brave. Have you told any of your new friends?"

She shook her head. "I don't want it to be like it was in LA. I just want to be treated like everyone else."

Joyce nodded in understanding, then stood up. "You get some rest now."

Buffy agreed and lay back down, feeling her eyes already start to close in exhaustion.

Joyce watched over her for a few minutes, gazing up at the ceiling. "Please, don't take my baby away from me," she whispered, then quietly left the room.

* * *

Spike rolled his eyes when another one of his father's conquests came downstairs, looking disheveled. He decided that enough was enough.

"Did you have fun?" he asked her.

She looked taken aback. "I don't really think that's anything to be discussing with you."

Spike shrugged. "I'm just concerned. My father's track record is pretty huge. I suppose he didn't tell you about the syphilis."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Yeah, with all the women he's had, he was bound to catch something eventually. I would get tested, and it would probably be best to stay away from him. There's no telling what else you might catch."

She looked appalled, glaring at Ethan when he finally made it down the stairs. "You bastard!" she spat, slapping him hard across the face.

Spike tried to hide his grin at his father's look of shock.

"What the bloody hell was that for?"

She ignored him and just made her way out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Ethan turned to a smirking Spike, knowing that he had something to do with what just happened. "What did you tell her?"

He shrugged again. "Nothing, just that she should be careful with you, there's no telling how many diseases you might have."

Ethan saw red at what he was implying. "You little shit, how many lies did you tell?"

"Enough to make them think twice about ever shagging you again, I did them a favor. Why anyone would want a wrinkled up old man is beyond me."

Ethan grabbed Spike by the shirt, getting into his face. "You want to do favors? Stay the hell out of my business; you apparently didn't learn anything yesterday. You were always worthless, you know that? It's no wonder your mother took her own life, to get away from your miserable self. She despised you, always went on about how much of a mistake you were. If you cause anymore problems for me, boy, I will make you regret it." He let him go at that, satisfied by the look of upset on his face. "Now, get out of my sight."

He hurried upstairs, not needing to be told twice. Spike hated when the bastard brought up his mother, always knowing that would hurt him like nothing else could. He really needed to get out of that house, graduation couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

Spike was enjoying the silence outside of school, leaning against a wall and smoking a cigarette. Of course, the silence couldn't last for very long.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that you were brooding."

Spike rolled his eyes and flicked the cigarette to the ground, stepping on it in the process. "I don't brood. What do you want, Abrams? I'm really not in the mood."

Parker held his hands up. "Just a little chat between friends."

Spike chuckled. "Oh, come off it. We were never really friends. I don't trust you enough for that."

He agreed. "That's good, because I never really did like you. It brings me such joy to see you lose this bet, to prove that for once Spike Rayne can't get the girl."

"This bet is a bloody waste of my time, anyway. Why don't we just call the whole thing off?"

Parker grinned. "Giving up, are we? And here I thought you weren't a quitter. I knew you couldn't do it."

Spike was really trying very hard not to punch the other man in the face. "I can do it, that's not the problem."

"What is the problem, then? Don't tell me you're actually starting to develop feelings for the girl? I never thought I would see the day. I knew you wouldn't win. Deep down inside, you're really just a pathetic loser that pretends to be all bad ass. I've always been able to see right through you."

Spike moved closer to him. "You don't know anything about me, wanker. I'll win this sodding bet, and then I don't want anything else to do with you."

Parker smiled in satisfaction. "That's perfectly fine with me, you have three more days. Make them count," with that said, he headed back into the school.

Spike didn't know why he let the pillock get to him, but once this was all over, he would never have to deal with Parker Abrams again. That made everything worth it.

* * *

"I haven't seen you much lately, Blondie Bear. What have you been up to?"

He groaned in annoyance. "I've been busy."

She pouted. "With that new girl? What's so great about her? She's not even that pretty."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Get this through your thick skull, you irritating bint. There was never anything between us. It was just sex, and most of that time I had to picture someone else in order to get off. You never really did anything for me."

Harmony looked close to tears. "I don't know why I let you be so mean to me."

"Love hurts, baby."

She watched him walk away, a look of anger on her face now. If it wasn't for Betty, Spike would still want her. It was the new girl that was changing him, and she had to put a stop to it. Harmony would do whatever she could to get that man stealing bitch out of the picture.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"So, how are you with History?"

Buffy raised her eyebrows in confusion. "Pretty good, why do you ask?"

Spike smiled. "Well, I happen to be really bad at it. I figure that you never need any of this stuff, so I've been slacking off a bit in class. I need to pull at least a B on the next test, but I have no idea what I'm doing."

She nodded. "And I'm guessing you want me to help you get a better grade?"

He nodded as well. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would really appreciate it."

Buffy gave it some consideration. "Okay, we can study at my house after school."

Spike dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around her legs. "My goddess, I worship at your feet."

Buffy laughed and pulled him up. "I don't even know why I put up with you."

Spike tapped the tip of her nose. "Probably because you can't resist my charm and good looks," he said with a grin.

Buffy rolled her eyes, but walked away with him. She felt her heart swell when Spike took her hand in his. Yeah, she was definitely in trouble.

* * *

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"

Buffy blushed, but kept her eyes focused on the text book. "Flattery gets you nowhere. Now shut up, you're here to study and nothing more. I don't want you wasting my time. You can leave if you're not going to participate."

He grinned. "Kitten has claws, it's bloody sexy."

Buffy slammed her book closed. "Spike, I'm serious. Do you even want to pass this class? You'll be sorry when you don't end up graduating with everyone else."

Spike held his hands up. "All right, I'm sorry. I'll be a good student," he said, crossing his heart.

"I know how smart you can be, and I really don't want to see you fail," Buffy explained, rubbing her temples at the sudden pain.

"You okay? Am I stressing you out too much?" he wondered.

Buffy shook her head, which she soon realized was a really bad idea. "It's not you. I just need some water, do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine."

Buffy nodded and got off of the bed, making her way out of her room and down the stairs. She grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and filled it up with cold water, then snatched a bottle of pills off of the counter. Buffy popped two of them into her mouth, washing them down with the cool liquid. She finished her water and rinsed the glass out, then headed back upstairs to find Spike actually looking in his text book.

He glanced up when she walked back in, giving her a smile. "I'm ready to learn now, teach."

Buffy smiled as well. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

* * *

Xander waved his hand in front of Spike's face.

"Are you still alive in there?"

He broke out of his reverie, seeming to just realize that he wasn't alone. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Xander smiled. "You stare at her any harder and your eyes might fall out."

Spike blushed at being caught.

Xander was stunned, not used to seeing his friend so bashful. "Man, you've got it bad."

He let out a sigh. "I don't know what it is. She's not like any of the other girls around here. Buffy actually has a brain in her head; I never realized being with a smart chit could be such a turn on."

Xander raised his eyebrows. "You're with her now? Have you guys ever…"

Spike cut him off. "No, we haven't. Not yet, anyway. We're technically not really together, but I'm hoping to change that soon."

"Is this still about that stupid bet? I was hoping you would have come to your senses by now and ended it. You don't have to prove anything, Spike."

He wished it was that easy. "I can't back out now; I'm already too far in. Look, I don't plan on hurting Buffy. If I do sleep with her before the end of the week, then I'll win and hopefully shut Abrams up for good. If I don't, then it doesn't really matter. I got to meet a wonderful girl out of this, I won't have any regrets. She'll never even have to know."

Xander thought about it. "And what if you do manage to win the bet? What happens to Buffy after that? Would you still consider seeing her?"

Spike gazed back at Buffy across the cafeteria, laughing at something Willow said. "I think that's a very good possibility."

"She's different, Spike. You said so yourself. She'll want more than just sex, I can tell. Are you willing to actually devote yourself to one girl? You would have to give up all of the cheerleaders. I don't know if you're ready for that. If you can't even think about committing to her, then you need to end this now. Before things get too out of hand."

Spike didn't know what to do at this point. Sure, he cared about Buffy, but he also liked a lot of sex. He never really had an actual girlfriend before. It was hard for him to even think about settling down with just one girl, but Buffy was special. Spike prayed that he wouldn't screw things up with her.

* * *

"Go out with me."

Buffy was taken by surprise, it wasn't even a question. "We already talked about this, Spike. I'm not really much for dating. We can do stuff as just friends, but that's it."

Spike wasn't about to let it go. "Don't you ever get tired of just being friends? Yeah, we still don't know each other that well, but I'm already bored of it. I want to take you out on a real date. If you don't have a good time, I promise to never bother you again."

Buffy could see that he was pouting again. The man was truly evil. "Fine, we'll go on one date, but that's all you're getting. That lip won't always work on me."

He smiled and gave her a hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You won't regret it, love."

She returned his smile, even though a part of her wasn't feeling it. Buffy really hoped that she wouldn't regret it, but couldn't help the worried feeling that went through her.

Spike was relieved that she took him up on his offer. He would take Buffy out and show her the best time of her life, the bet wasn't even on his mind at the moment.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Buffy looked around in awe once she stepped into the fancy restaurant that Spike took her to. Apparently, it was a pretty hot spot in California; a few celebrities had been known to dine there. She smiled when Spike pulled out the chair for her, sitting down and watching as he did the same.

"Spike, this place is just too much. How can you even afford it?"

He smiled at her. "Don't worry, love. It's all taken care of; you just enjoy yourself and order whatever you want."

Buffy nodded and glanced down at the menu, hoping he was right about that.

Spike knew that he would never be able to afford eating out at such an extravagant place, which was why he decided to 'borrow' his father's credit card earlier that day. With a grin, he picked up the menu in front of him and browsed through the most expensive choices he could find.

* * *

"Thank you; I had a nice time tonight."

Spike was relieved to hear that. "I'm glad, but now it's time for all little girls to get tucked into bed. I'll see you in school tomorrow."

Buffy nodded and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, then with one more smile, walked into her house.

Spike touched the spot where she kissed him, a smile of his own forming on his face.

* * *

"Where the hell is it?"

Spike had a feeling that Ethan might question him the second he got home, but he just walked by him and headed into the living room. "Where's what?"

Ethan grabbed him by the arm, turning Spike around to face him. "You know what I'm bloody talking about. I went into my wallet and noticed that my credit card was missing. What did you do with it?"

Spike shrugged and took the card out of his pocket, handing it over to his father. "It was very useful tonight, but I'm afraid you might not have much left on it."

Ethan snatched it out of his grasp, shoving Spike against the wall. "You're really asking for it, boy. I won't have you wasting my money on your little whore."

That was enough to really anger Spike and before he knew what he was doing, he shoved Ethan back. "She's not a whore; you don't know anything about her."

He chuckled. "Oh, did I strike a nerve? Why would anyone else want you? Get this through your thick skull, boy. You are a worthless piece of shit. Do you think she will ever love you? Your own mother couldn't even love you, so why would anyone else? You're nothing but a disgrace. If you take anything that belongs to me again, you will regret it."

Spike had enough as he watched Ethan walk away from him. He had to deal with the abuse and cruel comments for most of his life, but wasn't about to take it anymore. With that thought in mind, he charged at Ethan, grabbing him by the shirt and punching him hard in the jaw.

Ethan stumbled back, touching his face in shock. It quickly wore off and turned into rage. "You're going to pay for that, you little shit." He pushed Spike back, pleased as he fell to the ground. Ethan threw punches and kicks at Spike, not letting him get up until he was good and bruised. When he figured the boy finally had enough, he stepped back. "Maybe next time, you'll learn to respect your elders." Ethan walked away after that, leaving Spike in pain and moaning on the floor.

* * *

Buffy was awoken from a deep slumber by a tapping sound. She wiped the sleep from her eyes, looking up to notice Spike sitting outside of her window. She quickly got out of bed and made her way over to him, lifting up the windowpane.

"What are you doing here? It's after midnight." It was then that she got a better look at him, all the cuts and bruises on his face now very clear. Buffy gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, lowering it after a few seconds. "God, what happened to you? Are you okay?"

He gave a small smile. "Can I come in, love? I promise to tell you anything that you want to know."

Buffy nodded and motioned for him to come inside, moving out of the way and closing the window behind him. She took his hand and led him over to her bed, where they both sat down. "Who did this to you?" Buffy whispered, lightly touching one of his cuts, which caused him to wince a little. "Sorry," she apologized.

"It's okay, that's nothing compared to a couple of hours ago. Apparently, I pissed off my old man one too many times."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Your father did this to you?"

He shrugged. "I've gotten used to it. He finally went to bed and I just had to get out of that house. I'm sorry for dropping by like this, but I didn't know where else to go."

"That's fine, I'm glad you came to me. I just can't believe someone could do this to their own kid, it's horrible. Have you told anyone about this?"

Spike shook his head. "Xander is the only one that knows, and now you. He's been my best mate for years. I knew that he would be able to relate, having to deal with something similar. I knew that I could trust him."

Buffy nodded. "I understand that, but why didn't you tell someone else? Why didn't you go to the principal, or the police?"

"I didn't want to get anyone else involved. I figured I could hold out until graduation, then I would be done with him. I'll move far away where I'll never have to see the wanker again, I guarantee it's no loss for him. He dealt with a lot of trouble in England, and I know he never plans on going back. That would be the perfect place for me."

Buffy took his hand in hers, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry that you have to go through this, but it means a lot that you told me. Sometimes we're better off without our fathers. My dad walked out on us when I was about six, it was the best thing that ever could have happened. Giles is my father now; I wouldn't have it any other way."

He smiled. "That's good to know, he seems like a decent enough bloke. I can tell how much he adores you."

She smiled as well, then frowned when a thought occurred to her. "Spike, where's your mother? If you don't mind me asking."

Spike was quiet for a moment, his mother never being a subject that he liked to talk about much. "She died when I was really young. Suicide, I don't remember much about what happened."

Buffy now felt bad for asking. "I'm so sorry."

"It was hard at first, but I've managed without her. She wasn't a very loving person; all I really remember is her being depressed most of the time. She would argue with my father a lot. From what he told me, it sounded like she overdosed on sleeping pills. I never really knew why." Spike didn't want to tell her that he was probably the reason, that he was such a horrible son and she wanted to get away from him. That was his father's theory, anyway, but it didn't make him believe it any less.

Buffy cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "You're such an amazing person to deal with all of that."

Spike felt his eyes tear up, knowing that he was far from being amazing. No one ever looked at him like that before, like he was actually worth something. He soon found himself lost in her eyes, leaning closer and gently pressing his lips to hers.

Buffy didn't hesitate before returning the kiss.

Spike pulled away when breathing became an issue, avoiding her gaze. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have done that."

Buffy shook her head and made him look back at her. "Don't be sorry for that, just kiss me."

Spike wasn't expecting that, but couldn't deny her anything. He kissed her again, this time more passionately. He knew what they were about to do. There would be no going back, but this wasn't about some stupid bet. This was about being with the one woman that was capable of opening his heart to love for the first time in his life. There would definitely be no going back now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Buffy broke the kiss to take in a big breath of air.

"Maybe we shouldn't, I don't want to hurt you even worse."

Spike shook off her concern. "You won't, trust me on that."

Buffy seemed to accept his answer, moving to kiss him again.

Spike wrapped his arms around her, slowly lowering her down on the bed.

She stopped him once again. "Wait, what about protection?"

Spike wondered if she really wanted to do this or not. "It's okay; I have a condom in my wallet."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Right, you're a guy. I guess that's a pretty natural thing."

He grinned. "You could say that. I know you're nervous, but you really don't have to be. I won't do anything that you don't want me to do."

Buffy let out the breath that she was holding, a blush tinting her cheeks. "It's just that, well, I've never done this before."

Spike had a feeling that she might be a virgin, but knowing the truth made him feel very pleased. "That's nothing to be ashamed of, love. It means a lot that you're letting me be your first."

Buffy cupped his cheek. "Hopefully my only," she whispered.

Spike felt touched at her words. He knew that he was not worthy to be with such an angel, but couldn't find it in him to stop.

Buffy sat up, lifting the bottom of his shirt and pulling it over his head. She gasped at the bruises on his chest, leaning closer to press soft kisses to each one. Buffy felt him shiver and lightly ran her fingers over his torso. "Am I hurting you?"

He shook his head. "No, it feels good."

Buffy smiled and took a deep breath before removing her shirt as well. She felt her cheeks heat up under his stare. "I know I'm not much…"

Spike cut her off by pressing a finger to her lips. "You're bloody perfection."

She blushed even more at that.

It wasn't long before the rest of their clothes were discarded and thrown to the floor.

Spike gently pushed her back down on the bed, moving on top of her. "It hurts a little bit the first time, but I'll try to make it as painless for you as possible."

Buffy nodded and knew that she was ready.

"Are you sure about this? We don't have to go all of the way yet, it's up to you."

Buffy felt relieved that he was giving her an out, but she wasn't about to back down now. "I want to do this, Spike."

He nodded as well and with shaky fingers, grabbed his pants and wallet to retrieve the condom inside. Spike didn't even understand why he was shaking; it wasn't like he never had sex before. He ripped the packet open and slid the rubber on, gazing down into her eyes. "You trust me?"

She didn't even need to think about it. "I trust you."

For some reason, those words made Spike pause, but he just shook it off and positioned himself above her. "Let me know if it hurts too much, okay?"

Buffy only smiled. "I trust you," she repeated.

Spike felt choked up, taking a deep breath and slowly pushing into her. He brushed some of the hair out of her face. "Hold on to me, love."

She nodded and grasped his shoulders.

Spike took another breath, then buried himself fully inside of her.

Buffy gasped from the pain, tears forming in her eyes.

He clutched her tighter, kissing away her tears. "It'll be okay, baby. The pain will go away soon. Do you want to stop?"

She shook her head. "No, it doesn't hurt as much anymore. Just go slow."

Spike nodded and did just that. He didn't have a lot of experience with virgins, so going slow was something new for him. He would usually take a girl hard and fast, but didn't want to hurt her. If slow was what she wanted, then he would do slow.

Buffy ran her fingers down his back, meeting his thrusts as best she could. "You can go a little faster now."

"Are you sure?" he asked, just to be clear.

"Yeah, I can take it."

Spike wasn't about to deny her and made his thrusts faster. He was shocked when she squeezed him, letting out a moan. "God, I won't be able to last if you keep doing that."

Buffy smiled in satisfaction, throwing her head back when he pounded harder into her. She was so close and searched for her pillow to muffle her screams.

Spike could see what she was doing. "You won't need it," he said, then smashed his lips to hers.

Buffy reached release a few seconds later, screaming into his mouth and digging her nails in his back.

Spike was right behind her, breaking the kiss once it was over and burying his head against her neck, trying to get his breathing under control. He moved off of Buffy a little while later, not wanting to crush her. Spike quickly disposed of the condom into her trashcan, lying back down beside her and wrapping his arms around her tiny frame. "Are you okay?"

She rested her head against his chest. "I'm very okay. That was incredible."

He smiled and placed a kiss on her shoulder. "You took the words right out of my mouth, but we should probably get some rest now."

Buffy agreed and snuggled up closer to him, closing her eyes.

Spike watched her for a moment, until he knew that she was sleeping. With one more kiss, he followed her in slumber.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Spike awoke with a heavy heart, glancing next to him to see Buffy still sleeping peacefully. He slowly sat up, grabbing his clothes and putting them on. He looked at the clock and noticed that it was five in the morning, knowing that he would have to get home before his father woke up. Spike didn't feel like explaining where he was all night. He couldn't help feeling guilty for what they did. Not that he regretted being with Buffy, but he wished it could have been after the week was over. That way she would know it had nothing to do with a stupid bet, but he just couldn't resist her. Spike prayed that she would never find out about it. He stood as quietly as he could, but the movement caused Buffy to open her eyes.

"Spike, where are you going?"

He turned at her soft voice. "I have to get home. You go back to sleep, it's still early."

She frowned at the tone of his voice. "Are you okay?"

Spike gave her a small smile. "I'm perfect, don't worry about me. I should get home before my dad wakes up."

Buffy nodded. "Okay, I'll just see you at school."

He nodded as well, moving closer and placing a quick kiss on her lips. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

Buffy watched as Spike went back out her window, wondering if something was wrong.

* * *

She was even more concerned as the day went by. Spike didn't come up to her in lunch; he never even talked to her in class. Buffy was really starting to worry that he might have regrets about what they did. She just wished he would talk to her.

"Is everything all right? You've been really quiet."

Buffy broke out of her reverie at Willow's voice. "I'm just thinking about Spike. You know him better than I do. Have you ever witnessed him having real feelings for anyone in school?"

Willow thought about it. "I don't know. There was that girl he had a huge crush on during freshman year, but she turned him down. He took it pretty hard. I don't think there has been anyone since then. Spike doesn't usually get strong feelings about someone. I heard that he just likes to sleep around, usually the girls don't really mind." Her eyes widened. "I probably shouldn't have told you that."

Buffy felt her heart ache, thinking about the way Spike acted after they slept together. He couldn't wait to get away from her.

"I'm sure it's different with you, Buffy. I've seen a change in him since you came into his life. You might not have anything to worry about."

Buffy really wished she could believe that, but was starting to have her doubts.

"Hello, ladies. How are we doing today?"

Willow was surprised by the appearance of Parker Abrams. "Um, why are you talking to us?"

He smiled. "I'm really just here to have a word with Buffy. Let's go for a walk, there's something that you need to know."

Buffy was confused, but figured that it couldn't hurt. She nodded and walked out of the cafeteria with Parker, hoping that she wouldn't end up regretting it.

* * *

Spike found Parker by his locker after school, needing to finally put an end to this.

"The bet is over, Abrams. I'm officially done with you."

Parker grinned. "So, you slept with her then?"

Spike glared at him. "All you need to know is that we're finished, what happened between me and Buffy is our business. I just want to forget that I ever agreed to this in the first place. Buffy means a lot to me, I don't want her to know anything about this."

"Well, it might be a little late for that."

Spike gave him a look that could kill. "What did you do?"

Parker shrugged. "I talked to Buffy a little earlier today. Let her know that there were no hard feelings; I guess the whole thing about the bet just happened to slip out."

Spike clenched his fists at his side. "You told her? Bloody wanker, you just won't be satisfied until you ruin everyone's life. Where is she?"

"Last I saw, she was leaving school. She could be anywhere by now."

Spike shoved Parker back. "You'll want to stay away from me from now on. You come near me again, I won't be held responsible for what I do."

Parker wasn't even intimidated as Spike walked away. He couldn't wait for the fireworks that were bound to take place.

* * *

Spike found Buffy sitting outside the school, her head down. He sat next to her, waiting for her to hopefully speak up first. He didn't have to wait for very long.

"Is it true?" she wondered quietly.

Spike didn't even need to ask what she was referring to. "I'm sorry, I never meant for things to go this far."

Buffy nodded and stood up, wiping her eyes of the tears that she shed earlier. "I guess that would explain the way you've been acting today. So, is that it? Now that you got what you wanted, you're just done with me? God, I can't believe how stupid I've been. I knew there had to be a reason of why you seemed to want to be around me. Willow told me about you, but I didn't listen. I saw the good inside of you and decided to give you a chance. Was it all just an act? Did you even care about me at all?"

Spike stood up at the end of her speech, the tears breaking his heart even more. "Of course I did. I do, it wasn't supposed to be like this. You have to believe me, Buffy. I never meant to hurt you. I know what I did was wrong. I swear, I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you. What we had was very special; I don't want it to be over."

She shook her head. "You should have thought about that before. How can I ever trust you again, Spike? I started to really fall for you. You broke my heart, that's not something I can just forgive. I have to go."

He stopped her from leaving. "Buffy, please, we need to talk about this. I'm so sorry for everything, just let me explain."

"There's nothing you can say that will make this better. I just want to be left alone."

Spike let her walk away that time, hoping that he would somehow be able to gain back her trust.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Honey, are you going to be okay?"

Buffy shook her head and sat up, wiping away the remaining tears from her eyes. "I just feel tired."

Joyce placed down the glass of water that she brought, sitting on the edge of her daughter's bed. "Does your head hurt?"

"No, only my heart." A new set of tears started, Buffy was really getting sick of crying.

"Oh, sweetheart, I wish I could make it better for you."

Buffy nodded, taking in a deep breath to try and calm herself. "I thought he liked me. I guess that was stupid, guys are never interested in me. I should have known something was wrong."

Joyce shook her head. "Don't talk like that; you are a very beautiful girl. Any boy would be lucky to have you. I'm sure William is just misunderstood. I saw the way he looked at you, Buffy. I don't think it was pretend."

"It doesn't matter now. It was a bad idea to move here. We don't even know if this surgeon can help me. I don't even think I care anymore."

Joyce was concerned as she took Buffy into her arms. Her daughter never used to talk like that, always one to find a positive outlook on everything.

Giles watched the two most important women in his life from the doorway. It pained him to see his little girl with a broken heart. Buffy had enough to deal with as it was, she didn't need this on top of everything else.

"You don't have to go to school tomorrow, sweetie."

Buffy pulled out of her mother's embrace. "That's okay, I should go. I can't avoid it forever. I'll be fine."

Joyce wasn't very convinced, but decided not to say anything else about it. When Buffy finally fell asleep, she left the room to join her husband.

Giles had a grim look on his face. "What did that boy do to her?"

"I don't really know. She wouldn't go into the details, but my guess is that he wasn't who she thought he was. Let's just get to bed."

Giles nodded and followed after his wife, knowing that sleep would not come easy that night.

* * *

Spike headed over to Buffy's usual table during lunch, surprised to not find her there. He graced Willow with a smile, which was not returned.

"Do you know where Buffy is?" he wondered.

"I haven't seen her, but I don't think she wants to talk to you."

Spike sighed. "Well, I need to talk to her. I'm going bloody crazy here; she has to know that I never meant to hurt her. That I was up all night thinking about her."

Willow took some pity on him. "Buffy will talk to you when she's ready, she probably just needs time. I only know about you from what I've seen and heard. It's understandable that she would be upset right now, Spike. You made it seem like you were only after sex. She could have probably forgiven you if you came clean, but you just decided to carry on with the bet. Then after you slept together, you ignored her. What was she supposed to think?"

"She told you all of that?"

Willow shrugged. "She called me last night. I really don't know where Buffy is, she might have decided not to show up."

Spike ran his fingers through his hair. He really made a mess out of everything, but all he wanted to do was find Buffy.

Xander headed over to the table, sitting down next to Willow.

Spike noticed how close they were and wondered if something more was going on, but he couldn't think about that at the moment.

"How are you doing, man?"

Spike gave his friend a small smile, glad that he didn't seem to be all against him. "I've been better. Have you seen Buffy?"

He shook his head. "No, maybe she stayed home today."

Spike was afraid of that, having a feeling that he wouldn't be welcome at her house. He gave them one more smile and a nod, then left the cafeteria. Spike had a girl to find.

* * *

Buffy wasn't in class, and she never showed up later on. It had to be seriously bad if she decided to stay home. Spike would have to stop by after school; he didn't see any other options. He was too lost in his thoughts, when someone came up behind him and shoved him into the lockers, smashing her lips against his. Spike came back to reality and pushed her away from him, wiping at his mouth.

"What the hell are you doing, Darla?"

She was stunned by his reaction. "You must be having a bad day, but I don't have time for that. Come on, the janitor's closet is available."

He raised his eyebrows. "What are you on about?"

Darla rolled her eyes. "Oh, how they forget. We had a scheduled screw for this afternoon; you made it like a week ago. I couldn't do it sooner because I was too busy with Lindsey, but I'm free now. So, what are you waiting for?"

Spike completely forgot all about her. God, he couldn't believe that he was scheduling girls to take to the janitor's closet for a quick shag. He couldn't even stand Darla; the bitch was bound to give him a disease. This had to end now. "Yeah, that's not happening. Go back to Lindsey, I have an elsewhere to be. And since you're usually so good with gossip, you can go ahead and spread something for me. Spike Rayne is now a one woman man," he said with a grin, then walked away from her.

Darla's jaw nearly dropped, but the news was just too good to pass up. She grabbed a nearby brunette, pulling the girl over to her side. "You are never going to believe this."

* * *

Buffy headed to her locker at the end of the day. She came to school with confidence, but soon realized that she couldn't face Spike. So like a coward, she spent mostly the whole day in the library. Buffy was just glad for the day to finally be over, her head was starting to throb like crazy and she really wanted to go home. She opened her locker and found the yellow rose that was still inside. It was pretty much dead now, but the sight of it brought more tears to her eyes. She was about to close the door, when a tissue was suddenly thrust into her face.

"You looked like you could use it."

Buffy took the tissue from Angel, with a small smile. He never talked to her before.

"Look, I just wanted to say that Spike isn't all that bad of a guy. I know what he did was stupid, but I believe that he really cares for you."

Buffy dabbed at her eyes with the tissue, shoving it into her pocket. "How can you be so sure?"

Angel shrugged. "I just can. I've known Spike for a long while now, and I've never seen him look at a girl before the way he looked at you. It was like you hung the moon or something, the boy has it bad. I know he seems tough a lot of the time, but he has a good heart. Inside is just someone that wants to be loved. Hell, we all want that. He just tries not to show it much, but it's there. You were the only one that managed to find it."

Buffy was about to respond, but never got the chance.

"Who do you think you are stealing my boyfriend?"

Angel rolled his eyes. "For crying out loud, Harmony. He was never your boyfriend."

She glared at him. "I don't believe I was talking to you."

Buffy was confused. "Who's your boyfriend?"

Harmony turned back to her. "Spike, duh, he was mine until you came along. Just stay away from him, Betty."

Buffy looked to Angel for some help.

"Don't listen to her. Harmony talks a lot of nonsense. She hasn't gotten it through her head that Spike wants nothing to do with her," he said, giving the blonde a glare of his own.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You were just jealous, Angel."

He laughed. "You must be delusional; I could care less about you. Get over it, Harm. Spike has moved on to better things."

Buffy tuned them both out after that, something didn't feel right.

* * *

Xander made his way over to Spike, taking a deep breath.

"You may have hurt Buffy, but I can tell how sorry you are about it. If you want to talk to her, I saw her leaving the library a little while ago. She probably went to her locker."

Spike sighed in relief, giving his friend a smile. "Thanks, mate, I promise that things are going to be different from now on." Anything else he would have said was cut off by a commotion in the distance. Spike ran to see what was going on, Xander right behind him. What he saw was Buffy lying on the floor, a group of students standing over her. He hurried to her side. "What happened?" he asked Angel.

"I don't know. We were talking and she just collapsed out of nowhere."

Spike examined Buffy closer, glancing up at the crowd that formed around them. "Someone call an ambulance!" he yelled to anyone that would listen.

Xander pulled out his cell phone and did just that, hanging up after a few seconds. "They're on the way."

He nodded and turned back to Buffy, supporting her head in his lap. "It's okay, baby. Help is coming; you're going to be fine. You have to be fine," Spike whispered the last part as he continued to hold her, praying that the paramedics would get there in time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Spike wasn't allowed in the ambulance once it arrived, so he followed behind in his car a little while later. He knew the school called Buffy's parents, so they would most likely be on their way to the hospital as well. Spike couldn't deal with the fact that they probably wouldn't be too happy to see him, but he had to make sure that she was all right. He took a deep breath before entering the building. It wasn't long before he spotted Buffy's parents and made his way over to them.

"Is she okay?" was the first thing he could think of to say.

Joyce put a calming hand on her husband's arm. "We don't know anything yet."

Spike nodded. "My mate was the one that called the ambulance; I just panicked seeing her unconscious. I came here as soon as I could."

"Buffy has us now; you should just run along home."

Spike had a feeling that her step-father would be the more difficult one out of the two, but he wasn't about to go anywhere. "I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but I care deeply for your daughter. I can't just sit at home, not until I know that she's okay."

Joyce gave him a small smile. "You can wait with us. I'm sure Buffy would like to know that you're here."

Spike sat down in an available seat, not very convinced by her mother's words.

The doctor arrived a moment later, all three standing up to greet him.

"How is my daughter?" Joyce started.

"She only fainted; we believe it may be from a lot of sudden stress in her life."

Spike felt shame go through him. If finding out about the bet wasn't added stress, he didn't know what was.

Joyce nodded. "Will she be all right?"

The doctor took a deep breath. "It's too soon to tell. We know of her condition and did a cat scan. I'm afraid your daughter will need immediate surgery."

Joyce and Giles both paled at that, while Spike looked confused.

"She has an appointment with Dr. Miller on Tuesday. He was recommended to us by Dr. Sanchez in Los Angeles," Joyce explained.

He nodded as well. "We are aware of that. Dr. Miller thinks it would be best to go through with the surgery as soon as possible. I'm afraid it would be dire for Buffy to wait much longer. The tumor needs to come out now, or she could be looking at severe brain damage."

Joyce gasped, squeezing her husband's hand. "Would she be able to survive the operation?"

"Dr. Miller is the best brain surgeon in California, but I really couldn't tell you that. I would just say that she has a very good chance, but not having the surgery done would put her at even more risk. It's up to you, ma'am."

Joyce looked at Giles, nodding after a few seconds. "We'll go through with the surgery. Is there any way we can talk to Buffy before that?"

The doctor nodded again. "Yes, she's in room 401. You may all see her if you wish," he told them, then walked away to tend to other patients.

Spike was in shock during their whole conversation. Buffy had a brain tumor? He couldn't believe it. "I have to see her," he spoke up suddenly. "Please, I need to see her."

Giles didn't think that was the best idea, but one look at his wife's resolve face had him nodding his head. "All right, but you will not upset her. Is that understood?"

Spike nodded as well, then followed them to Buffy's room.

* * *

He stood in the doorway as Joyce went over to Buffy's bedside, giving her a hug. Giles did the same, while Spike remained in the same spot. She looked so pale and small lying there.

Buffy glanced up and met his eyes, seemingly surprised to see him.

"Are you comfortable? Do you need me to fluff your pillow more? Get you something to drink?" Joyce said in a rush.

"Mom, it's okay. I don't need anything," Buffy replied.

She patted her daughter's hand. "We'll be with you through everything, honey."

"I know. I'm really glad you're both here, but can I speak to Spike alone?"

Joyce nodded after a moment, grabbing her husband's hand and pulling him out of the room.

Buffy smiled at her step-father's reluctance to leave, but knew that he could never resist Joyce's resolve face.

Spike stepped closer to her bed, taking a seat in the chair next to it.

"Why are you here?"

"How can you even ask me that? I was scared to death when I saw you passed out in school today. This is the only place I would be right now." He took her hand in his, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

Buffy could feel his fingers shaking. "I guess I just didn't think you would care."

Spike's eyes widened. "Of course I care. I know you probably have no reason to believe that, but it's true. You mean a lot to me, Buffy. I realized that the first night we went out together. I know I should have ended the bet sooner, but I was just stupid. I've done a lot that I'm not proud of, but I never wanted this to happen. This is all my bloody fault. You probably wouldn't even be in here right now if it wasn't for me."

Buffy shook her head. "I don't blame you for this, Spike. I was bound to be in here eventually, it's just happening a little sooner than we planned. It's not your fault."

He felt his eyes tear up. "Why didn't you tell me about the tumor? All those times you got headaches? Why didn't you ever say anything?"

She took a deep breath. "I didn't want anyone to know. When everyone found out in Los Angeles, they treated me differently. I couldn't stand to see all of the pity. I didn't want that here, I wanted to be treated like everyone else. I don't need anyone feeling sorry for me."

"Are you scared?" he wondered softly.

"A little, but I know that I can handle whatever happens." She took another breath before continuing. "Spike, if I don't make it through this…"

He cut her off by pressing a finger to her lips. "You're going to make it, okay? You're not dying, I won't let you. I can't lose you now, not when I just found you. So, you're going to be fine. I'll see to that."

Buffy smiled sadly. She knew there was nothing he could do, but it was a nice thought.

Spike was concerned when her eyes started to close. "Are you tired, baby?"

She opened her eyes back up to gaze into his. "Baby?"

He blushed a little, but wasn't about to deny it. "Yeah, is that okay? You're my girl, right?" Spike prayed that she would say yes, he didn't know what he would do if she turned him down. Not when he realized that he was falling in love with her. Hell, he was probably already there.

"Baby sounds good, sleepy now."

Spike smiled at how adorable she was. "You get some rest, love. I'll be waiting outside with your parents. I'm not going anywhere."

"Won't your dad be mad?"

He shrugged. "I could care less about him. You're the only thing that matters right now. I'll see you later." Spike leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, tip of her nose, then finally on her lips. He lingered there a bit longer, pulling away to lightly caress her cheek. "What did I ever do without you?" he whispered, but noticed that she was already asleep. "I hope I never have to find out." With one more kiss to her forehead, he left the room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

It had been a couple of hours since Buffy went in for surgery. Spike remained anxiously awaiting the results with her parents, avoiding any glares that her step-father sent in his direction. Nothing could make him leave the hospital now. Not until he knew for sure that her operation was a success. He called his house and left a message for his father on the answering machine, relieved the older man wasn't there. Spike normally wouldn't even bother, but felt that he should at least let Ethan know where he was. He perked up when the doctor headed towards them, standing up with her parents to receive the news. Spike took a deep breath once he reached their side.

"We were able to remove the tumor completely; your daughter is going to be just fine. Dr. Miller is a miracle worker."

Huge smiles formed on all of their faces as Joyce went to hug Giles, then took Spike by surprise and did the same with him.

The doctor smiled as well. "Buffy will be unconscious for a little while, so you all should head home and get some rest. You can come by to see her later during visiting hours."

Joyce nodded. "Thank you so much, Doctor."

He gave them one more smile, then walked away.

Joyce had tears of relief in her eyes. "My baby's going to be okay."

Giles pressed a kiss to the top of his wife's head. "That she is. I always knew Buffy was a fighter. She's so strong, just like her mother."

Spike was happy that Buffy was all right, but felt a little saddened by the display. She had such loving parents that would do anything for her. He always wished to know what that was like. His mother had her moments, but Drusilla Rayne was never a very caring woman. She would always go on about things that made no sense to him. Telling him that he was made for the sunshine, whatever that meant. And then when everything became too much for her to handle, she just ended it all. Not thinking about what it would do to him. Spike made a promise to himself that if he was to ever have kids of his own, he would make sure they knew what it was like to be loved every day of their life. Spike knew what he had to do. It was time.

* * *

He entered the house quietly, relieved to not be greeted by any disturbing sounds from his father's room.

"Where have you been?"

Spike jumped a little at Ethan's voice coming from the living room. All the lights were off and he didn't even realize the man was sitting in there. "I went back to the hospital. I stopped by earlier, but you weren't around." He moved closer to see that Ethan was holding a bottle of Scotch in his hand, something that wasn't very shocking.

"Right, your little girlfriend. How is she?" Ethan wondered, taking a swig from the alcohol.

Spike didn't know why he cared, but didn't say anything about it. "She's fine; they think she'll be able to go home tomorrow."

Ethan nodded and stood up. "So, when do I get to meet the little girl that was capable of you growing a heart?"

Spike took a step back, trying to control his anger. "I'm not bringing her anywhere near you. This one is different from the others; she won't be setting foot in this house. In fact, this is the last time I ever will."

Ethan glared at him. "What are you on about, boy?"

"I'm officially done. This point on, I want nothing more to do with you. I had a talk with Xander and he agreed to let me stay with him for the remainder of the school year. After that, I'm leaving this bloody town. You'll never have to see me again. I guarantee we'll both be better off."

Ethan chuckled. "Oh, I guess you have it all figured out. You think I'll just let you leave? I'm your guardian; you still have to do as I say."

Spike cringed at the fact that he used guardian instead of father, but chose not to care. "See, that's where you're wrong. I'm eighteen, which means I no longer have to follow by your rules. I could live on my own now if I wanted to. When you think about it, this is a good thing for you. Now, you can continue to bring all of your bimbos back here and not have me to worry about getting in the way. I did a lot of thinking at the hospital. This isn't the life I want, it never really was. The last thing I ever want is to be like you, so we're done here. I'm my own man now. I'm going to get married one day, have beautiful children, and be a better father to them than you ever were. They are going to grow up knowing they had two parents that loved them dearly. That's the life I want."

"And you think anyone would wanna marry you? They'll take one look at you and realize what a disgrace you are. Who could ever want you?"

Spike grinned. "I have a girl waiting for me at the hospital that thinks otherwise. I would say that you could ask her yourself, but you're not a part of my life anymore. I know now that I wasn't the reason Mum was looking for a way out. No, it was because of you. You treated her horribly and she just wanted to get away from you. She figured that killing herself was the only way to do it; she knew you would never let her leave. I'm not about to let the same thing happen to me. Goodbye, Ethan." He grabbed the few belongings that he packed up earlier, then walked out of the house. Spike smiled when Ethan didn't even try to stop him, knowing the other man was finally defeated. He waved and gave a two finger salute. With the look of pure revulsion on Ethan's face in his mind, he got into his car and drove away. Not looking back once. It was time to start his new life, and Spike knew just who he wanted to share it with. He stopped by Xander's house first to drop off his things, assuring his friend that everything went better than he could have imagined. Spike then made his way back to the hospital and the girl he loved. There was no better feeling in the world.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Buffy was back in school about a week later, everyone pretty much knew about what happened. Harmony even apologized to her, which took her by surprise.

Spike had his arm around Buffy at lunch later that day, not about to let her out of his sight. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Buffy let out a sigh. "For the last time, I'm fine. They wouldn't have let me out of the hospital if I wasn't. You really need to stop worrying, Spike."

He shook his head. "You might as well tell me to stop breathing; you have a bigger chance of that happening."

She smiled and leaned into his touch. "It would be a very bad thing if you stopped breathing."

Willow and Xander smiled at both of them from across the table, glad that their friends seemed to be so happy.

Angel was making gagging noises.

Spike pulled away from Buffy to throw a roll at his head, which he dodged.

"You throw like a girl, Rayne."

Buffy gave him a stern look. "Be nice," she said firmly.

Spike grinned when Angel actually looked ashamed, like a boy being scorned by his mother. "That's right, Peaches. I've been through a lot; you should be nice to me." The truth finally came out about his father, but Spike couldn't be happier to be out of that house.

"Well, isn't this sweet?"

Spike groaned at the appearance of Parker and Riley, they seemed to be more inseparable lately since he, Angel, and Xander stopped hanging out with the ponce.

"Seeing you guys so cuddly is enough to make me want to hurl," Parker commented.

Spike stood up. "What do you want, Abrams?"

He shrugged. "Just to see what a complete loser you've become. I never thought I would see the day when Spike Rayne was in love with someone other than himself. Well, that just means more girls for the rest of us. I might give Harmony a go, since you're done with her and all. Oh, wait, I already did about a month ago, but it's not like you two were ever really serious. Finn here wants a little piece of Buffy; would you be willing to share?"

Buffy touched Spike's arm when it looked like he was going to hit Parker. "Don't, it's not worth it."

He softened and took a deep, calming breath. "I'm done letting you get to me, Abrams. You can run along now, you're not welcome around us anymore. Then again, you never really were."

Parker scoffed and noticed that Riley left the cafeteria. He was confused and went after him, catching up to him in the hallway. "Hey, what's that about?"

Riley turned around. "You don't speak for me anymore, Parker. I'm tired of just standing around, like I'm your bodyguard or something. Making up that shit about how I want Buffy when you know it's not true, you were just trying to piss off Spike. There's someone else that I'm interested in at this school, and I'm not going to hide it anymore. I'm tired of caring about what you think."

A small, mousy brunette walked over to Riley.

He gave her a smile, putting an arm around her. "Let's get out of here, Fred."

Parker's jaw nearly dropped. "Are you kidding me? She's a science geek."

Riley glared at him. "That may be so, but she's my science geek." He gazed at the girl next to him. "Not that I think you're a geek, sweetie."

She smiled shyly. "It's okay; I'm not offended by it."

Parker was stunned as he watched them walk away. "This school is insane."

* * *

"Have you seen your dad at all?"

Spike shook his head. "Not since I walked out over a week ago. I guess he just forgot about me, I'm not surprised. It's not like I thought he would try and make me come home. He's probably relieved to be rid of me."

Buffy rubbed his arm. "Don't say that, I'm sure it's not true."

Spike gave her a sad smile. "It doesn't matter, I just want to forget about him and focus more on you."

Buffy giggled when he moved on top of her, kissing her softly.

They were in Xander's basement, while he was out with Willow on their first official date.

Buffy couldn't be happier that her two friends decided to get together. "You like staying with Xander?"

He shrugged. "It beats having to deal with all of my dad's flings almost every night. Harris is a bit sloppy and he takes way too long in the shower, but I would still prefer that over living with Ethan any day."

Buffy nodded. "Well, I'm glad you got away from him. I don't like seeing you get hurt."

Spike felt his heart swell at her words. She never stopped surprising him. He was still amazed that anyone could care so much about him. Spike was so grateful that he didn't lose her. He didn't know what he would do without this feeling.

"Are you okay? You have a serious face."

He smiled and nuzzled her neck. "I couldn't be better, love."

* * *

Angel plopped down across from Spike, gracing him with a grin.

"I just asked Cordy out, and she didn't say no."

Spike smiled. "Good for you, mate."

Angel nodded. "So, where's Buffy? You two are usually joined at the hip."

"She had a doctor's appointment, just to make sure everything is still going well."

Angel nodded again, looking across the cafeteria to see Cordelia staring at him. She licked her lips and motioned for him to come over. "I gotta go, man."

Spike watched as Angel shot up out of his seat and made his way over to the cheerleader. He laughed at the sight of his friend already being whipped by the brunette beauty, but supposed he couldn't really argue with that.

* * *

Buffy moaned as Spike trailed his lips down her neck, knowing that they should probably take it elsewhere.

"We shouldn't do this here."

He pulled away from her. "I missed you yesterday. You expected me to go the whole day without touching you? Not bloody likely."

She blushed. "No, but we're in the hallway. I heard about a janitor's closet that's usually a hot spot for couples to make out, at least it wouldn't be out in the open."

Spike shook his head. "I'm not taking you there. That isn't a good place for my girl."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "Okay, well, I should get to class now. I'll see you later." She gave him one more quick kiss, then walked away.

Spike was worried when she brought up the janitor's closet. That was where he took all the others, he wasn't about to do the same with Buffy. She was different and he wanted to treat her as such, his girl deserved better than that. He turned around, only to bump into Harmony. "What do you want now? Haven't you taken the hint already?" Spike noticed that her eyes were red, as if she was crying. He didn't really care for Harmony, but never was one that liked to see a girl cry.

"I needed to talk to you."

Spike sighed. "Fine, but make it fast."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm pregnant."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"You're what? No, you can't be."

Harmony rolled her eyes. "I think I would know if I was pregnant or not. I'm not that stupid."

Spike was about to respond to that, but decided against it. "Fine, but what does this have to do with me? You don't actually expect for me to believe that it might be mine, do you?"

She shrugged. "It's a possibility."

"Yeah, just a possibility. I know you've been with other blokes, Harm. We were always careful, and you told me that you were on the pill."

Harmony took in a deep breath. "I am, but that's not always accurate. I'm really scared right now, Spike. I was hoping that you would be helpful."

Spike rubbed his head, feeling a migraine coming on. "Do you have any idea how bloody awful your timing is? Look, I'll just tell you this, if it does happen to be mine, then I'll help you any way that I can. I'm not about to abandon my child, but I'm going to need actual proof before I do anything. And that's all you get, Harmony. I can help you out if the kid does turn out to be mine, but that's it. We're not going to be together. I'm with Buffy and I would never do anything to ruin what we have. You understand that?"

Harmony didn't exactly like it, but just nodded.

Spike nodded as well. "I have to go, but I expect to see a paternity test later on."

Harmony stopped him before he could leave. "If Buffy wasn't in the picture, would you have chosen to be with me?"

Spike could tell how serious she was. For some reason, he didn't really want to hurt her feelings. "I guess we'll never know," with that said, he walked away.

* * *

"Aren't they cute?"

Spike pretended to gag, causing Buffy to slap him on the arm.

"You're not fooling anyone. I know you're just as happy about them being together as I am," she commented.

Spike turned back to Willow and Xander, who continued their make out session and not paying attention to anything else going on around them. "Well, it has been a while since Harris had a decent woman in his life. Red could be good for him."

Buffy smiled. "At least we're not the most nauseating couple anymore."

Spike agreed, then focused on Angel and Cordelia also playing tonsil hockey in the distance. His eyes widened at the two of them. "Bloody hell, he's gonna swallow her tongue. She doesn't even like that."

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "And how would you know that?"

He looked caught and turned away from the kissing couple. "I hear things?"

She wasn't very convinced, but decided to let it go. "You used to date Harmony, right?"

Spike was surprised by the change in subject. "I wouldn't really call it dating, but yeah, why do you ask?"

"I just think something might be going on with her and Parker. I saw them arguing earlier today. I guess I was just wondering if you would be bothered by that or not."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why would that bother me?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. You used to have a thing with her, and I know Parker was your friend."

Spike scoffed. "He's no friend of mine, and there was never really anything with Harmony. It was just basically a lot of se…studying. Yeah, all we did was really study and stuff like that."

Buffy shook her head. "Spike, it's okay. I know you were with other girls before we got together; I'm not going to get on your case about it. You can be honest with me."

He sighed in relief. "All right, well, the truth is I've done a lot that I'm not very proud of. I've had my share of girls, but none of them mean as much to me as you do. You've completely tamed me, Summers. I should be mad at you for that, but I think I'm just really thankful. I hated who I was before, even though I would never admit it."

"Now it's just me?" she wondered, her insecurities shining through.

Spike smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Yes, it's just you."

"This is all very sweet, but we're trying to make out over here. Can't you guys have your Kodak moment elsewhere?"

Spike glared at Xander. "I'm surprised you even noticed that we were still here." He ignored his friend and turned back to Buffy. "Wanna get out of here?"

She nodded and followed Spike out of the cafeteria.

* * *

Buffy entered the girl's restroom and immediately heard what sounded like someone crying. She knocked on the stall, where the sniffles were coming from.

"Are you okay?"

The door opened and out came Harmony, wiping quickly at her eyes. "Oh, it's just you."

Buffy wasn't exactly a fan of the cheerleader, but was curious as to what could have upset her. "Are you okay?" she asked again.

Harmony moved over to the sinks, washing her face of all the smeared mascara. "I'm pregnant, so I would say that I'm nowhere near okay."

That was the last thing Buffy expected to hear, but Harmony continued before she could say anything.

"At first I thought that it might be Spike's."

Buffy's eyes widened, but the blonde wasn't finished.

"Don't worry, it's not his. What are the odds that the one time I slept with Parker Abrams would get me knocked up? How is that fair? I don't even like him. Of course, he wants nothing to do with me or the baby. That's why I was hoping it would be Spike's. I know he would at least be there for me. God, my life sucks."

Buffy awkwardly patted her on the back, not knowing what else to do. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

Harmony agreed. "That's right, it won't be. I don't need stupid Parker, but I'm not about to get rid of this child. I'm going to keep it, and soon I'll find someone that will appreciate me. Someone that I really deserve, you're lucky to have found Spike. I just hope you can keep him interested, he has a habit of losing interest pretty fast. Well, thanks for the chat. It's been fun."

Buffy watched as Harmony left the bathroom, shaking her head and staring at her reflection in the mirror. She hoped that Spike wouldn't get sick of her, too.

* * *

Spike was beyond relieved when Harmony told him that he wasn't the father. Sure, he wanted kids one day, but just not with her. He would have laughed at finding out it was Parker, if she didn't tell him the wanker wanted nothing to do with the baby. He would need to have a talk with him about that. Parker was responsible for getting Harmony pregnant and Spike would make sure that he did the right thing by her, but right now, he was just thrilled to be off the hook. It was time to leave the past behind him and get on with his life. He would start by telling Buffy that he loved her. Spike just prayed that he could get through it. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Buffy was taken by surprise when Spike picked her up and spun her around.

"Spike, I'm getting dizzy," she said through her laughter.

He immediately set her back on her feet. "Sorry about that."

"What was that about?"

Spike then thrust a paper into her hands.

She glanced down at it, a huge smile lighting up her face. "You got an A on the test?"

He nodded, matching her smile with one of his own. "My first one ever in that class, I think Mr. Reynolds nearly had a heart attack. It's all because of you."

Buffy shook her head. "I didn't do much, but I'm very proud of you. I knew you could do it."

Spike felt so much affection for her in that moment. No one had ever believed in him so much before. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to his chest. "God, I love you."

Buffy pushed him away, her eyes widening.

Spike had the same expression on his face. "Bloody hell, that wasn't supposed to happen."

Buffy suddenly felt hurt. "Oh, you didn't mean it?"

"No, wait, I didn't mean that." He tilted her head up to look at him, noticing that she was staring at the floor. "Of course I meant it; I just wasn't planning on blurting it out like that. I wanted to take you somewhere nice, do it all romantic like. I've never really said those words before; I wanted it to be special."

Buffy smiled in relief. "It was special. You don't need to do any big gestures with me, Spike. It only matters that it comes from your heart. I don't need anything else."

He smiled in return. "I love you, Buffy. I know this is all happening really fast. We haven't known each other for very long, but I really do. You've made me feel more than I ever thought was possible."

She moved closer to him, pressing a kiss to his lips. "I love you, too."

Spike cupped her cheek, very pleased to hear that. "I have something to do, then we can go."

"That's okay; you can take your time. Giles is picking me up today."

Spike nodded, giving her one more kiss. "I'll see you later?"

She nodded as well, then walked away.

He watched her go and with a smile on his face, headed in the other direction.

* * *

Spike found Parker by his locker, flirting with some brunette. He rolled his eyes and made his way over to them.

"I want a word with you, Abrams."

Parker glared at him. "I'm a little busy right now."

Spike turned to the girl. "Get lost," he told her, not caring about being nice.

She was taken aback, but did as he said.

"What the hell was that for? I was just about to get her number."

Spike rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, my heart bleeds for you. You're a pathetic sod, you know that?"

Parker crossed his arms over his chest. "Am I even supposed to know what that means? You're in America now, learn to speak it."

Spike clenched his fists at his side, trying very hard to control his temper. "I want to talk to you about Harmony. Look, I don't bloody care if you like her, but you're responsible for getting her pregnant. You can't just walk away from that."

Parker raised his eyebrows. "Since when do you give a damn about her?"

"That's not the point. If she was having my child, I would do whatever I could to help out. You can't just let her handle this on her own."

Parker took on a bored expression. "Watch me; this isn't even any of your business. Just be lucky you're not the one that has to deal with this. I don't like kids. I never have, and I probably never will. I like Harmony Kendall even less. She was just a good lay, and now I realize what a huge mistake that was. I told her to get rid of it, but of course she refused. Now, the brat is her problem. I don't want anything to do with either of them, and nothing you say will get me to change my mind."

"You like your reputation, Abrams?"

He looked at Spike in confusion. "What's it to you?"

Spike shrugged. "Funny thing, I was in the locker room a few days ago. I forgot something, and to my surprise realized that I wasn't the only one in there. Do you know Tucker Wells? I'm sure you do, seeing as how I caught the both of you in a very compromising position."

Parker's eyes widened. "That…That was nothing. I don't know what you think you saw, but nothing was going on. I'm not gay, all right? I wouldn't want anything to do with that loser. I swear, if you tell anyone about this…"

Spike cut him off. "You do right by Harmony. Help her with whatever she needs, and this never gets out. Do we understand each other?"

Parker scowled at him. "I really hate you."

Spike grinned. "The feeling's mutual. So, do we have a deal?" he said, holding out his hand.

Parker took it after a moment. "Deal, now get out of my sight."

He held his hands up and backed away. "I'm as good as gone. See you around, mate." Spike flipped Parker the bird, then left the school. He couldn't keep the smile off of his face once he walked outside, seeing that Buffy was still there. His smile quickly faded when he noticed who she was talking to. Spike hurried over to them, pulling her away. "What are you doing here?"

Ethan gave him a grin. "Is that any way to treat your father, William? I was just having a little chat with Buffy. At first I didn't even realize that she was your girl, but then it all became clear. She's very bright, what in the world is she doing with you?"

Spike shut his eyes tight, opening them a few seconds later. "You're obviously drunk right now, just go back home. You're not a part of my life anymore, I already told you that. You have no business being here. I'll call you a cab; you probably shouldn't be driving."

Ethan chuckled. "Oh, like you've never done it. You're being really stupid, boy. I came here for you, and this is the thanks I get? Come on, we're going home." He tried to grab him, but Spike moved back.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, especially not when you've been drinking. I already have a home; I have no intention of ever going back to yours." Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy, feeling that she was trembling.

Ethan turned his gaze on her. "You'll be honest with me, right? You don't really care about my daft son, do you? A smart girl like you could do way better. You need a real man, sweetheart."

Buffy shuddered when he trailed a finger down her cheek, but was once again pulled away by Spike.

"Don't you even think about touching her!" he spat. "I want you to stay away from me, you got that? All you're doing is embarrassing yourself."

Ethan was about to respond, but never got the chance.

"Is there a problem here?"

Buffy was beyond relieved to see that Giles finally showed up. She broke away from Spike and went over to his side, giving him a hug.

Giles patted her on the back, focusing on the two men. "I think you should leave now," he told Ethan.

"Who the hell are you?"

Giles glared at him. "I'm Buffy's father, and I would appreciate you not harassing her. William is a good lad. If he doesn't want to go with you, then I'm sure he has a good reason. I hope you can leave civilly, I wouldn't want to have to get the police involved."

Ethan nodded after a moment, giving Spike one more look. "You're not even worth it," he claimed, then got back into his car and drove off.

Spike sighed in relief, turning to Giles. "Thank you, sir."

He waved his hand in the air. "No need to be formal with me, son. You can just call me Giles, everyone else does."

Spike nodded. "Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm ready to get out of here."

Giles agreed, giving Buffy another pat on the back. "You can go with Spike if you want to, dear. I have a few errands to run; it might be boring for you."

Buffy nodded as well and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy."

Giles watched in awe as she walked away with Spike. Sure, he knew that Buffy considered him to be her father, but that was the first time she ever said it. He smiled and got in his car, soon driving away from the school.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

A few more days went by and Spike hadn't heard anything else from his father. Not that he was worried, but he was curious as to why. So, he decided to pay him a visit, and it would give him an excuse to get some stuff that he left behind.

"I want to go with you."

Spike sighed for what felt like the millionth time. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Buffy."

She pointed to her face. "You see this expression, you know what it means."

He had to smile at that. "You are your mother's daughter. Fine, but you can stay outside."

Buffy figured that was better than nothing.

* * *

Spike didn't see his dad's car, and was glad that they might not even have to deal with him. When he entered the house, he was taken by surprise by the condition it was in. The place was a wreck; bottles of beer littered the floor and all kinds of garbage. He headed upstairs and when he reached his father's room, saw that it was completely empty. All of his things were gone and Spike had a feeling that Ethan wouldn't be coming back. He went to his room to collect the rest of his belongings, which wasn't much. Spike took one more look around once he finished, then left the house to meet Buffy outside.

She was confused by the frown on his face. "Is everything okay?"

"It looks like he skipped town, all of his stuff is gone."

Buffy raised her eyebrows. "He just left?"

Spike nodded. "I guess so. Well, we don't have to worry about him trying to make me come home anymore. Let's get out of here."

Buffy followed him to the car. "Spike, are you okay?" she asked again.

He shrugged. "I will be. I mean, it's not like I really expected for him to keep trying. It's better this way."

She took his hand and brought it to her lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

Spike smiled and opened the car door for her.

She returned his smile and got in.

Spike went to his side and got in as well, then drove away from his former house for the last time.

* * *

"Wow, this place is great."

Spike was pleased by her reaction. "Yeah, it was all I could really afford. I couldn't live in Xander's basement forever."

Buffy glanced around his new apartment. "It's really nice, but I thought you planned on moving to England?"

"That was the plan, but I found reasons to stick around here. Besides, London will always be there."

She smiled, very relieved that he decided not to move. "Do you have any bedroom furniture yet?"

He nodded. "It's not much, but I have a mattress on the floor. That's all I really need right now. Why do you ask?"

Buffy grinned and grabbed his hand, pulling him over to the bedroom.

Spike knew exactly what she wanted and let her lead him away; shutting the door once they were inside.

"At least this time, there should be no interruptions."

Spike laughed as he thought about when Xander barged into his basement and found them in an intimate situation. "Yeah, we gave him quite an eyeful."

Buffy blushed and was glad to not have to deal with that again. "Hey, what did you say to Parker? I saw him actually carrying Harmony's books today."

Spike shrugged. "I just made him realize the error of his ways. I can be a pretty persuasive bloke when I want to be."

Buffy wasn't very convinced, but decided to let him believe that. She just shoved him down on the mattress.

Spike gazed up at her, lust written all over his features. "I love it when you're rough," he claimed with a wink.

"Don't get used to it, this isn't really me. I just wanted to try something different."

He smiled. "Buffy, you're perfect just the way you are. I don't need you to be different."

She was relieved to hear that, then slowly started to peel the clothes off of her.

Spike licked his lips when her naked body was revealed to him. She always looked so bloody gorgeous, he could never get enough. "Come over here," he said huskily.

Buffy did as she was told, plopping down on the mattress.

Spike immediately moved on top of her, pinning her arms above her head and kissing her hard on the mouth.

Buffy tried to catch her breath when he pulled away. "One of us is a bit too overdressed."

Spike smirked and unlike her, quickly removed his clothing. "I'll be right back."

Buffy licked her lips at the sight of his bare ass when he ran out of the room, entering again a few seconds later.

"I put some condoms in the kitchen drawer, just remembered about them."

Buffy nodded and watched him slide the rubber on. "I've been thinking about going on the pill. I'm just worried about telling my mother that. She doesn't even know that I've had sex yet, but I'm not a little kid anymore. And she was way younger than me when she first lost her virginity, but I probably shouldn't bring that up in the conversation."

Spike smiled fondly. "I'm sure it'll be okay, your mum is a pretty understanding woman. You'll be eighteen in another month, maybe you should wait until then to tell her."

She agreed. "That sounds like a good idea, but enough about that. Get over here."

Spike chuckled and crawled over to her, getting on top of her once again. "Do I have to get you ready first?"

"Trust me, I'm more than ready. I just want you inside now."

He grinned. "Bossy bint, I love it."

Anything else she would have said was cut off by his lips once again meeting hers.

Spike kissed her softly, slipping his tongue into her mouth. He positioned himself over her entrance, then slowly slid home.

Buffy gasped at the penetration, it felt better every time.

"Am I hurting you?" he wondered.

She shook her head. "No, you can go faster. I can take it."

Spike was happy to oblige. He pounded hard into her, trailing his mouth down her neck. "You're always so bloody tight."

Buffy felt shivers as she ran her hands down his back, digging her nails into his skin.

"God, I love when you do that."

She was definitely glad to hear that, worried that he might not care for it. "Spike, I'm not gonna last much longer."

He made his final thrusts harder and faster.

Buffy yelled out her release, biting down on his shoulder.

Spike followed right behind her, breathing heavily as he buried his face in her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. "You are so amazing."

She felt her cheeks heat up, still not used to all of the compliments. "You're not so bad yourself. I should probably get home, my mom will wonder where I am if I stay out much longer."

Spike groaned. "Can't you tell her that you're staying the night at Willow's?"

"I guess I could, but you have to promise that I'm actually going to get some sleep this time."

He held his hand up. "I promise. Are you tired yet?"

She matched his trademark smirk with one of her own. "Not even close."

Spike practically growled as he pounced on her.

It was going to be a long night.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Honey, is there something you want to tell me?"

Buffy took a bite of her sandwich. "What do you mean?"

Joyce pointed to her neck. "You have a little something here."

Buffy's eyes widened. She jumped up and headed to the nearest mirror, gasping at the huge hickey that she found on her neck. "Oh god," she claimed.

Joyce followed after her. "I think we need to talk."

Buffy knew it would happen, but she was hoping it would be later. "I'm sorry; I didn't know that was there."

Joyce nodded, dreading her next question. "Are you and Spike having sex?"

She avoided her mother's gaze, looking back at her after a few seconds. "Yes, I'm really sorry. I know we were supposed to talk about this first, but it kind of just happened. It was only three times so far, and I promise we were always safe. I know I'm still really young, but I love him. You remember what it was like to be my age and in love, so you can't tell me that I don't know what I'm feeling. I can see that I'm rambling now, which I tend to do when I'm nervous. So, I'm just gonna shut up and let you do the talking."

Joyce couldn't help the small smile that formed on her face. "I do know what it's like. I can't say that I'm very happy about this, Buffy. You're only seventeen, so I can't say that I'll ever be happy about this. You know that you can always talk to me, right? I'm always here for you."

"I know that, it was just hard to talk to you about this. I was afraid that you might stop me from seeing him or something."

Joyce shook her head. "I know how much he means to you, sweetie. I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before. I wouldn't do anything to take that away from you, but just to be safer; you're going on the pill. I'll schedule you a doctor's appointment for next week."

She nodded eagerly, moving closer to hug her mother. "Thanks, Mom."

Joyce patted her on the back, pulling out of the embrace a moment later. "I think you should invite Spike over for dinner this weekend. Rupert and I would like the chance to get to know him better."

Buffy smiled; relieved that the conversation seemed to go well.

* * *

"Are you sure that your step-father likes me now? He doesn't own a gun, does he?" 

Buffy laughed. "I promise that you're safe. Giles assured me that he would be on his best behavior; you have nothing to worry about. Besides, I made sure that he locked up all of the weapons."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Oh, you're bloody hilarious."

She shrugged and pulled him into her house.

"You were just kidding, right?" he wondered.

Buffy didn't answer.

"Pet, that's not funny."

* * *

Spike stared down at her, noticing the grimace on her face. 

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, just a little sore. I'll be fine."

Spike suddenly felt guilty. "I knew it was too soon after the last time, we should have waited a little longer."

Buffy stopped him from moving away. "Don't you dare, it feels better now. Come on, don't wuss out on me."

He sent her a glare. "I will make you eat those words, missy."

Buffy moaned as Spike pounded harder into her, hitting all the right spots. It had been a few months since she was put on the pill. She was now eighteen and a soon to be high school graduate. Buffy and Spike were practically inseparable, even more in love than either thought was possible.

Spike pulled out of her once they both reached release, resting at her side and trying to control his breathing. "Never a dull moment with you, love."

She smiled and snuggled up closer to him. "Good to know."

"So, I've decided to go to UC Sunnydale. That's where you're going, right?"

Buffy glanced up at him. "Yeah, but I thought you said that you didn't think college was for you?"

He shrugged. "I changed my mind. Do you think they have coed dorms?"

She slapped him lightly on the chest. "I don't think so."

"What about coed showers?"

Buffy rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. "I'm going to sleep now."

Spike pouted, but made himself more comfortable. "We graduate in a few weeks. I never thought that would ever happen for me. I was starting to think that I would end up repeating my senior year. All it took was one small, blonde girl to make me want to actually do well in school. I owe you a lot, Buffy. More than you could possibly know." He figured she was already asleep, until he heard a soft sniffle. "Baby, are you crying?"

She shook her head. "No, I just have something in my eye."

Spike didn't believe that and turned her to look at him, concerned when he saw the tears. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Buffy wiped at her eyes. "Sorry, I just feel the same way. What you said means a lot to me, and I never realized just how much I would have missed. I never thought I would get to see my graduation, or go to college. I know I was always positive around my mom and Giles, but I've been terrified for so long. I was so scared that I would die, that I would never get any of this. For a while there I started to lose hope, but you've given me so much. I don't know what I would do without you."

Spike started to feel tears of his own at her words, pulling her closer to his side and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You'll never have to find out. I love you, Buffy. Nothing will ever change that. If I lost you, it would have bloody killed me. Bad choice of words?" he wondered, relieved to see her smile.

"No, everything's perfect," she replied, resting her head against his chest.

He held her tighter. "About that whole coed dorm thing, do you think we can try and convince the college to make it happen?"

Buffy let out a sigh. "You're just lucky I love you. Now, go to sleep."

Spike smiled and did as she said. Feeling that for the first time in his life, he was actually lucky.

**The End**

Well, there you have it. I think I did all that I could with this story, without dragging it on and adding more angst that just wouldn't work. Besides, I did say this wouldn't be too heavy on the angst. Thanks to all those that read and reviewed!


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